The committee adopted the report by Matthias GROOTE (PES, DE) amending - under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure - the proposed regulation on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions and on access to vehicle repair information. The key amendments were as follows:
- the committee extended the 18-month implementation deadline proposed by the Commission, saying that the new Euro 5 standard should apply from 1 September 2009 for private cars (M1) and from 1 September 2010 for category N1 class II and III vehicles (light commercial vehicles). The transition periods for registration, sale and entry into service were also extended to run up to 1 January 2011 (M1) and 1 January 2012 (N1) respectively;
- with a view to ensuring a smooth transition from the existing directives to the new regulation, the exception which enabled category M1 vehicles over 2500 kg to be type approved as N1 class II and III vehicles should be maintained in the Euro 5 step for vehicles "designed to fulfil specific social needs" (i.e. to take wheelchairs or to seat seven or more people). This exception should cease with the entry into force of the Euro 6 step;
- the Commission's proposed Euro 5 limit values for emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) for compression ignition (CI) vehicles should be reduced by a further 10%, i.e. they should be 180 mg/km rather than 200 mg/km as specified in the proposal;
- the committee took the view that less-polluting CNG-powered vehicles should not be forced off the market simply because they cannot comply with the Commission's limit values for hydrocarbons. It therefore voted to retain the Euro 4 standard for "total hydrocarbons" and to introduce into the tables in Annex I an additional column for "non-methane hydrocarbons" so that an ambitious hydrocarbons limit value is retained for petrol-powered vehicles;
- the committee introduced a new table into the Annex setting out limit values for the next stage, i.e. Euro 6. These included a drastic reduction in NOx limit values for CI vehicles, which were set at 70 mg/km. The amendment also stipulated that a number standard for measuring particulates should be defined "at this stage", i.e. when Euro 6 comes into force;
- the committee wanted starting dates to be set for the Euro 6 stage: 1 September 2014 for M1 vehicles and 1 September 2015 for N1 vehicles. The transition periods for registration, sale and entry into service should run up to 1 September 2015 and 1 September 2016 for M1 and N1 vehicles respectively;
- a number of new definitions were introduced into the regulation, including "vehicle fuelled by LPG or NG". MEPs felt that the regulation should specifically cover biofuelled vehicles, which should be subject to compliance with Euro 5 and Euro 6 limit values;
- the review of test cycles and the introduction of limit values for additional pollutants should be dealt with under the codecision procedure;
- on the contentious issue of information on car repairs, the committee called for such information to be submitted in a manner consistent with the technical requirements of the OASIS format and for manufacturers to make training material available to independent operators and authorised dealers and repair shops. Lastly, it wanted the Commission to report to Parliament and the Council within 3 years on the operation of the system of access to vehicle repair information, looking in particular at the effect on competition and the operation of the internal market. The report should also consider whether all provisions on access to such information should be consolidated within a revised framework directive on type approval.